Fade Away
by Phantomess April
Summary: New Penname, used to be "Forensicgirl94". Something happens where Tea is trapped into the Milennium Puzzle with Yami. With the help of the others, can they find a way to save her before she begins to fade away forever? PLEASE NO FLAMES! This is my first Yugioh fic.
1. Chapter 1

**DISCLAIMER- I do not own Yu-gi-oh in any way **

**AN: Okay so I love Yu-gi-oh and I am also I big supporter of Revolutionshipping, I think these two make such a cute couple ^.^. This is my first Yugioh story so I apologize for any possible OOCness and please no flames.  
>There will also be a scene from season 0 which is when there are two doors rooms (S0E5) when Shadi went into Yugi's head and met Yami.**

**Summary: Something happens where Tea is trapped within the Millennium Puzzle and with Yami. Can they find a way, with the help of the others, to free Tea before she vanishes forever?**

_**Chapter One- Trapped in the Puzzle**_

Rain hit sharply against the game shop windows as the four friends sat in the living room. Tea and Yugi tried to find something to watch on TV, while Joey and Tristan sat on the floor dueling one another.

"Hey, I won! I finally beat ya Tristan!" Joey yelled victoriously as Tristan laid back against the couch.

"I let you win Joey after you lost the last four times," he said, but his blonde friend was too far gone in his victory that he didn't hear him.

"Hey Yug, you wanna duel? I'm on a roll here!" he laughed.

"No thanks Joey, I'm not in the mood," his small friend responded.

"You okay?" Tristan asked.

"Yeah, I'm just worried about the Pharaoh. He's been so busy trying to unlock his past that he hasn't spoken to me in three days," Yugi explained.

"It must be hard for him. I can't imagine not knowing anything about myself," Tea spoke up. Everyone nodded in agreement and sat in silence as the rain outside became violent. When the wind began to howl, everyone turned their attentions to the developing storm.

"The weather is much to fierce out there for you three to walk home and the roads are beginning to look too dangerous to drive on, so you're all going to stay here tonight," Grandpa Mutou said as he entered the room, "Joey and Tristan, you can stay in Yugi's room. Tea, I'll prepare the guest room for you."

"Thank you," they all said before falling back into a comfortable silence. After a few minutes however, Joey's voice broke it.

"Ya know, I've been wondering something. What's it like to live in this thing?" he asked as he tapped the puzzle around Yugi's neck.

"I don't know what it's like for the Pharaoh because we both have our own soul rooms where we stay when the other is in control. But I can't exactly explain it," Yugi said.

"I think it would be weird to share my body with another soul. I mean it's like a completely different personality who can take over you at any time," Tristan said.

"Well, we only switch when necessary," Yugi explained.

"You mean like when you're too tired to sit through class? I've seen Yami in your place plenty of times," Tea responded. The other two laughed at Yugi's embarrassed blush before everything began to sober again. After a few more minutes of talking about random subjects, everyone decided it was time to call it a night.

/oo/

Tea pulled the covers over herself and stared at the ceiling. She wore the same clothes she had on that day since they were one a pair of sweatpants and a T-shirt. The only sound in the room was the rain beating against the window violently. Faintly, she could hear Joey and Tristan snoring loudly in the room next to her.

'_I wonder what Yami is doing right now,'_ she thought to herself. Though everyone now referred to him as 'The Pharaoh', she still preferred his old name. Just like Joey, she too wondered what it was like to live in the puzzle. Did he ever get lonely? Even if he and Yugi would always switch places? Eventually her thoughts lulled her to sleep, unaware of the dark presence approaching…

/oo/

( A few hours later)

Tea woke up in, what looked like, a dark hallway.

'_Where am I?'_ she thought as she stood and walked towards the first room where a bright light flooded from. It looked like a child's room with some toys around the area and a bright light like the sun was shining through. She turned around and noticed a closed door with strange carvings on it. Curiosity got the best of Tea and she slowly pushed the door open and stepped inside.

It was an endless maze of doors and stairs. Some stairs were upside down and sideways, as were some of the doors. It was infinite.

"What is this place?" Tea whispered as she began her trek through the dark corridors. Every hallway looked the same as the last and soon Tea found herself utterly lost.

'_Great job Tea. Now what?'_ she scolded herself as she looked around at her surroundings.

"Tea?" she heard a familiar, deep voice ask, shocked. Tea spun around and met the amethyst eyes of the Pharaoh.

"Y-Yami!" she exclaimed in surprise, "What are you doing here?"

"I should be asking you the very same thing," he said calmly.

"Where are we?"

"Inside the millennium puzzle," was the answer she got. Tea sat down on nearby stairs, processing what he had just said.

'_I'm dreaming. I must be dreaming,"_ she thought to herself. She looked up at Yami and noticed that he was wearing a pair of light blue pajamas.

"My attire tends to change with whatever Yugi wears. It's a strange thing about the bond," he explained, noticing her stare. He took a seat next to her, causing Tea to try and refrain from blushing at the closeness, "Now back to my earlier question: what are you doing here?" he asked, bringing Tea from her thoughts.

"I don't know, maybe I'm dreaming…OW!" Tea jumped away from Yami and rubbed her arm where he had just pinched her, "What was that for?" she asked.

"I remember Joey once saying that to see if you are dreaming, you pinch yourself and if you feel it, then you're awake," he explained, "By your reaction, it's safe to say that you are very much awake."

"How did I get here?" she asked after a few moments of silence.

"Your guess is as good as mine. But I'll tell you this, I do not have a good feeling about it," he said as he stood, "Come on, we should give you a soul room until we figure this out."

He began to walk away as Tea followed him, trying to understand the twists and turns of the halls.

"Where is your soul room?" she asked, unable to take the thick silence that had fallen over them.

"We're waking in it," he answered, gesturing to the entire illusionary maze, "You can use one of the empty rooms as your soul room."

"What exactly is a soul room?"

"It's a room that will preserve your soul. It will also take form of where you feel most comfortable. It will act as a temporary arrangement for you due to your situation. As soon as Yugi awakens, we can start getting you back into the real world," Yami explained. Tea looked around and thought of what he had said. If a soul room takes the form of where you're most comfortable, why was it such a dark place here for him?

'_It must be because of his lost memories, he doesn't know where his safe place is,'_ she thought to herself, feeling bad for the Pharaoh. Then something came to her mind.

"Yami, what happens if you don't have a soul room?" she asked.

"You'll begin to fade away until you no longer exist," he said in a grave voice.

**Review! I'm sorry again, it's my first story and I'm trying my best! .  
>Anyway next chapter should be out soon, at the latest next weekend because I don't always have time to update because of school. Please no flames but tell me what you think! Until next time, read and review!<strong>


	2. Chapter 2

**DISCLAIMER- I do not own Yu-gi-oh**

_**Chapter Two- Lost Soul**_

_**Bold italics- Yami**_

_Underlined italics- Yugi_

_(Next morning)_

Yugi's distress was the first thing Yami felt when the morning had come around. After finding a suitable room for Tea to settle in, the former Pharaoh had waited for Yugi to awaken so he could inform him about their friend, but by his partner's feelings, Yami could tell he already knew.

'_**Yugi, calm down,'**_ he spoke through the mind link.

'_Tea isn't waking up! Her eyes are just empty brown like her soul is gone!'_ Yugi exclaimed.

'_**That's because her soul is gone, but it hasn't gone far,'**_

'_What do you mean?'_

'_**She's in the puzzle with me,'**_ Yami said then waited a few minutes for a response.

'_How is that possible?'_ Yugi asked.

'_**I'm not sure. I've given her a temporary soul room for the time being while we figure this out,'**_ he felt Yugi calm down a little, knowing that Tea was not in real danger at the moment. He wanted to switch places with Yugi to try and find out more about this, but he didn't know if it would be safe to do so with Tea now in the puzzle. Deciding not to take any chances just yet, Yami transferred his spirit self into the real world. He appeared next to Yugi, who looked over at him for a second in surprise but quickly regained himself and returned to explaining to Joey and Tristan about Tea being in the Millennium item.

The room appeared normal; cream colored walls and dark brown furniture. Sunlight shined brightly through the windows as if the storm the night before never happened. On the bed, however, was where a soulless Tea laid. She was limp and her eyes were open, showing brown nothingness. Yugi's grandfather entered the room and closed her eyes gently. By the look on his face, he seemed to know where Tea was as he casted a worried look at the puzzle.

"Tea's parents aren't back from their business trips yet and I don't think we should call and inform them since Tea isn't gone from us," he said.

"Maybe Bakura is behind this," Joey said.

"Bakura is capable of a lot of things, but I doubt he can transfer another person's soul into a millennium item," Yugi said. Everyone began to pass around more theories as Yami returned his focus onto the room. That's when he caught it: a dark presence. It was faint, but he could tell something evil had been here. The energy seemed to center around Tea's body.

Yami quickly retreated back into the puzzle to see if Tea could remember anything about last night.

/oo/

Tea stood in the middle of her temporary room, taking in her new surroundings. Yami had mentioned to her that a person can make their soul room resemble a place they feel most at peace. Except for the dark, stone floor and walls, Tea tried to make the room look like her bedroom back home.

There was a bed in the corner with pink and green blankets and pillows on it. She wasn't sure if she was able to sleep here, but the soft bed was good for comfort. Beside it was a nightstand with a notebook and pen on top. A small matching green and pink rug lay on the floor, completing the room as best it could.

Feeling satisfied, Tea sat on the bed and placed the notebook in her lap. She figured she could write about her time in here and whatever she could remember about how this happened. She was about to start writing when there was a knock at her door. She stood and walked over, opening it to reveal Yami.

"Tea, do you remember anything before you found yourself here?" he asked in what sounded like worriment.

"No, I came over to the game shop with the guys because my parents are away and I got lonely being in the house. There was a bad storm so Tristan, Joey, and I had to spend the night at Yugi's. I went to the guest room and laid down. Eventually I fell asleep and the next thing I knew, I was in the puzzle. I thought maybe I was dreaming but obviously that's not true," she explained. Yami nodded and seemed to fall into deep thought.

Tea studied his serious face, trying to see if she could figure out what he was thinking. As she waited for Yami to come out of his thoughts, Tea couldn't help but study him. He was a few inches taller than her and his eyes were sharper than Yugi's, more serious. She continued to look at him and get lost in her own thoughts. It wasn't until Yami lightly waved his hand in front of her face did she come back into reality.

"Huh?" she asked, feeling her face begin to heat up.

"I said that there was a dark energy around your body out there and I am unable to tell who put it there," he said.

"So, a new enemy?"

"Quite possibly which means we all have to take extra caution. If they can transfer your soul into the Millennium puzzle, who knows what else they are capable of," Yami answered gravely. Both were silent for a while before Yami looked at Tea's soul room, "I see you've made up your room," he said. By the tone of his voice, Tea had a feeling that he was trying to lighten the air around them which had become tense.

"I wanted it to look as much like my room as possible," she said quietly. He nodded in understanding before turning,

"I'll leave you to your thoughts. Hopefully we can figure this out quickly," he said as he began to walk away. Tea hesitated a moment, not wishing to be alone here, before she spoke,

"Where are you going?" Yami turned around and looked back at her.

"Nowhere, I just walk around and see what I find," he answered.

"Will it be okay if I walk with you?" she asked, feeling her cheeks become red again.

"Sure," Yami said, smirking which gave Tea some comfort. She caught up to him and the two began to walk through the twisted halls of the puzzle.

/oo/

_(Yugi and the others)_

Yugi sat beside the bed with Tristan and Joey. He was the last to wake up that morning since he couldn't sleep that night thanks to Tristan and Joey's snoring. When he went into the kitchen, he noticed that Tea hadn't been there which was out of the ordinary since she was normally a morning person. He went up to the guest room to see if she was awake but ended up only finding her limp body. He immediately called for the others to come help. He thought she was dead until the Pharaoh had told him she was in the puzzle with him. The thought of a new enemy that can transfer souls into objects was unsettling to say the least.

"I hope you all can figure out how to transfer Tea back into her body," Grandpa Mutou said as he entered the room.

"We will as soon as we know where to start looking," Joey replied.

"The Pharaoh said that there was a dark presence surrounding Tea but that's all he could find," Yugi said.

"That's not really much to go on. Maybe Tea will remember something," Tristan suggested.

"While she was asleep? I doubt it," Joey huffed. The room grew silent again as everyone thought of what to do next.

/oo/

_(Inside the puzzle)_

"So where do these doors lead?" Tea asked as the two continued to walk. She wasn't sure how much time had passed but she was enjoying being in Yami's company.

"Different memories. I don't usually open them though because you never know what is behind them; good memories or bad ones," he answered.

"But one of these doors must have your memories behind it,"

"That's true but I haven't sensed anything that should stand out to me," They fell into a comfortable silence as they continued to walk. Tea tried to remember more about the night before but it was useless. Everything was a blank.

"You shouldn't try to concentrate so hard. That will make remembering much more difficult," Tea looked over at Yami who kept his eyes forward.

"But we need to figure out who is behind all this," she argued.

"We do, but forcing yourself to remember something can make you forget it easier," he replied calmly. Tea sighed and looked around as they turned into an identical hallway.

"How do you not get lost in here?" she asked.

"When you live someplace for over three thousand years, you tend to learn your way around," he answered.

"That's true," She said. Eventually they had made it back to her soul room, "That was fast."

"Actually we've been walking for about an hour or two. I should let you rest," he said, "I shall see you soon Tea," then he walked down the hallway until he disappeared. Tea entered her room and sat down on the bed. If her soul wasn't in danger and the world wasn't possibly at risk again, she would say that she was actually enjoying her stay so far in the puzzle.

**Review! I'm sorry if this chapter stinks. I'm trying my best but this story is harder than I first thought. If you have any ideas of something you wanna see in the story, feel free to PM me or review and I'll see what I can do ^.^ Until next time, read and review! **


	3. Chapter 3

**DISCLAIMER- I don't own Yugioh in any way**

_**Chapter Three- Finding Answers**_

_**Bold italics- Yami**_

_Underlined italics- Yugi_

Yugi, Joey, and Tristan set out later that day for the Domino Museum to see Ishizu. Hopefully, she could shed some light on this situation.

"So what if this is some new enemy? How will we be able to fight them?" Joey asked as they walked the busy streets. People flooded in and out of the crowded stores and chatted happily as they passed the three.

"If it is a new enemy, our first goal is to find them. We'll figure out something," Yugi answered.

"My question is what does Tea play in all of this? What was the point of placing her soul in the puzzle?" Tristan wondered.

"Hopefully Ishizu has a theory for that," Yugi answered again. The other two nodded in agreement as they made it to the train station.

"What's with all the people today?" Joey yelled as they saw more people come out of the station.

"I'm not sure, is there a holiday coming up?" Yugi asked.

"I don't think so," Tristan answered. Deciding against using the train, the three continued their walk to the museum. When they got there, they weren't surprised to see it crowded just like everywhere else in the city. They walked through the busy exhibits trying to find the person they needed.

"Ishizu!" Joey shouted, causing the woman to turn around. She gave a wave and began to walk towards them.

"Hello, it's nice to see all of you again. Is everything going well?" she asked.

"Hello, and not really," Yugi said, "we have a problem."

"Oh, please, let us talk someplace more private," Ishizu said, guiding them all into an office.

"Why is the place so crowded?" Tristan asked.

"We have opened up some more exhibits here, some of more information on Egypt. Many people are curious," she explained, "Now what is the problem?"

"It's Tea," Joey started.

"She's trapped in the puzzle," Yugi finished the sentence.

"She's in the Millennium Puzzle?" Ishizu asked, shocked.

"Yes, and we don't know how or why," Yugi continued.

"This is not good," Ishizu said quietly as she sat down.

"Do you know who is behind this?" Tristan asked.

"I do not, but I fear for Tea's soul. The Pharaoh's existence within the puzzle is possible because he sealed himself within there; it's almost his entire being. But Tea is a stray soul in the puzzle, not belonging. If she stays in there for a long time, she will disappear and cease to exist."

"The Pharaoh gave her a soul room to preserve her. Will that keep her from vanishing?" Yugi asked, worried.

"That will definitely delay the process, but not stop it. Without a soul room, Tea's soul would only last two weeks at the most. I don't know how long she has with the Pharaoh preserving her soul," she answered. She had a vision of something like this happening but it had been too blurry, if only she had paid more attention.

"How can we reverse it?" Joey asked.

"That answers lie with the person who placed her there."

"But why Tea? What role does she play in this?" Tristan asked.

"My guess is that she is just a pawn to this enemy; their using her to get to Yugi and the Pharaoh. What they want with you two, I'm not sure," Ishizu said.

"Maybe it's an enemy from the Pharaoh's past, I mean we've been running into a lot of them since we discovered his role in Egypt," Joey stated.

"Could it possibly be Bakura teaming up with someone?" Tristan asked.

"I don't think so," Yugi said quietly. They all needed to work fast if they wanted to save Tea before she disappeared from their lives forever.

/oo/

Tea sat in her soul room in deep thought. She was tired but couldn't sleep; she had tried earlier and found it impossible. She had written notes down in her notebook, anything that she could think of that could lead them in the right direction.

'_What if I never leave here?' _she thought. It scared her that there was a chance she would never leave. She had to keep reminding herself that Yami and the others would find a way to release her from there. She stood up and decided to walk around to clear her head, even if there was a chance she would get lost in the maze of hallways. Just as she went to open the door, her hand went through the doorknob. She felt her breath hitch when she realized that her entire arm was transparent!

'_No way! I was perfectly solid before!'_ she screamed in her head as she looked down and noticed her body flicker for a few seconds. That was when she screamed in terror.

/oo/

Yami had been wandering the puzzle when he heard Tea's scream. He ran to her soul room and opened the door and found Tea standing there, shaking in fear.

"What happened?" he asked, worried. Tea was silent for a few minutes and grabbed his shirt tightly in fear. Yami tensed, not sure what to do as Tea stared talking.

"I don't know, I was just about to leave and my arm was see-through. Then I started flickering," she said then quickly looked at herself to make sure she was somewhat back to normal. Yami was afraid of this, she was beginning to fade. She must have stopped herself from doing so. How she stopped it, he didn't know.

"Luckily you're still here," he said, feeling awkward with Tea once again holding tightly onto his shirt, "Come on, why don't we walk for a little while to calm you down."

"Okay," Tea said softly as the two of them left the room. They walked in silence for a while, Tea looking at the ground and Yami keeping his eyes forward.

"We are going to figure this out Tea," he said softly. Tea looked over at him and nodded but remained silent. She didn't speak for a few minutes.

"Do you think this is a new enemy?" she asked.

"Yes,"

"What do they gain by all of this?" she wondered.

"Whatever they want; they must know that we would do anything to keep each other safe," Yami explained. His hand had brushed hers, causing Tea to blush. Yami noticed this from the corner of his eye and wondered why she was blushing.

"But if they wanted to get to you, I would think that they would try and harm Yugi," she said, but more towards herself. She would never wish something bad to happen to Yugi, but she was curious to why the enemy had chosen her, "I mean he's like a brother to you and means a lot to you."

"You mean a lot too," He said softly, but she heard him clearly.

"What?" she asked. Both of them had stopped and the silence that had fallen was an awkward one. She noticed that Yami's cheeks were tinged pink, which was very uncharacteristic of him.

"Uh…nothing, don't pay any mind," he said quickly and began to walk ahead. Tea caught up to him and watched him from the corner of her eye. His cheeks remained pink and he kept his eyes forward. She smiled a little, feeling better than before.

/oo/

_(Back with Yugi and the others)_

"Okay so let's try and figure out the facts," Yugi said, "We have a new enemy who is possibly from the Pharaoh's past, we have limited time to find him unless we want Tea to be taken from us all, and we have no idea where to start looking."

"That sounds right. Does the Pharaoh have any ideas?" Joey asked.

"I haven't spoken to him yet," Yugi said as he leaned back onto the couch while Joey and Tristan began to start more theories on the new threat.

"**Speak to me about what Yugi?"** the Pharaoh asked as his spirit form materialized next to Yugi.

"_Ishizu may believe that this enemy is an enemy of your past. Can you think of anyone?"_ he asked.

"**Sorry, being Pharaoh is the only thing I know of my past. I wouldn't know any of my enemies though I am quite sure that I had many of them,"** Yami stated. Yugi nodded and sighed.

"_Is Tea doing okay?"_ he asked. Yugi noticed that Yami had suddenly looked…nervous? Yami was never nervous.

"**She's fine,"** he said, **"We had a scare earlier though. It seems that Tea is beginning to fade away. She somehow stopped it though. That and also she was in her soul room at the time which could have prevented anything worse."**

"_We need to hurry. How long do you think we have?"_ Yugi wondered.

"**A few weeks, about a month and a half at the most if I take more precautions with Tea's soul,"** Yami said softly. He wasn't sure what more he could do to keep Tea safe that long, but he would figure something out.

**Review! Sorry for the wait. School is keeping me busy and I've been sick. Again, let me know any ideas if you have one. Until next time, read and review! .**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer- I don't own Yugioh**

**AN: I am sooooo sorry for the long wait! School, writer's block, and life kept getting in the way. Now I have a cold but the good news is it gives me an excuse to sit in bed and type lolz. I promise to work harder at updating quicker next time! Enjoy! **

_**Chapter Four- Remembering memories**_

/oo/

_(Someplace unknown…)_

"Has she vanished yet?"

"No, she began to but something stopped her," a man answered.

"Sorry boss," another replied.

"Hmm…it seems the Pharaoh is beginning to use some of his shadow magic to preserve her."

"What should we do boss?"

"Wait. Eventually, someone will slip up and that will make your jobs easier," the man known as the boss said before letting out a sinister laugh.

/oo/

_(In the puzzle)_

Tea's eyes shoot open as she quickly sat up in her bed. She had fallen asleep somehow after Yami had left her to her thoughts. She had dreamt of when she found herself in the puzzle, every little detail stood out to her and a few had begun to put more to the story. Her mind must've been remembering more to this.

'_I have to tell Yami,'_ she thought as he got up and left her soul room. Now where was Yami's room?

/oo/

_(Yami)_

Yami sat in his soul room in deep thought. Along with trying to save Tea and catch the person behind this, he also had to try and remember more of his past in hopes of discovering his true identity and an enemy who was capable of this.

'_There isn't much time left to find whoever did this. I can only preserve Tea for so long,'_ he thought. Tea. He had used a bit of his shadow magic to protect her, but it was dangerous to use such magic so often. The darkness would begin to not only consume him but possibly her too.

'_I would never forgive myself if something happened to her.' _

He couldn't deny that he had feelings for the girl, but he had kept it at a close friendship for Yugi's sake. When he found out someone trapped her in the puzzle in hopes of making her disappear, her first instinct was to protect her fiercely. When she told him that she was beginning to vanish earlier that day, fear clutched his heart in a vice grip.

He wanted her to smile again, the way she did back in the real world. A few times here she had smiled but he could tell that it wasn't meeting her eyes, her worry was too great. He wanted her to be happy and safe. Now she was anything but that.

'_I'll save her,'_ he vowed to himself.

/oo/

_(Tea)_

She walked the confusing corridors until she finally found a door that was different from the others. It had an eye in the center and strange symbols around it. This door looked much like the door that led her into Yami's side of the puzzle. She wasn't sure if she was allowed to enter his soul room, he was able to enter hers because it was his mind, his creation. She softly knocked on the door and waited for him to answer. When nothing happened, she knocked a little louder and spoke.

"Yami, are you there?" she asked nervously.

"Tea? Is everything alright?" Yami asked as he opened the door and stepped out.

"I think I remember something about the other night when I came here," she said.

"What is it?"

/oo/

_(In the real world)_

Yugi stared at the ceiling of his bedroom, unable to sleep. Joey and Tristan had offered to sleep over again in case anything came up but Yugi said he would call them if anyone discovered anything. He thought back to earlier that night when he spoke with the Pharaoh. He had seemed nervous about something which was something that Yugi found odd. Had something happened between him and Tea? He knew that the ancient spirit harbored some feelings for their friend but was keeping it at a friendship for his sake. He also knew that Tea had some infatuation with Yami as well but also kept them hidden.

'_Would it even be possible for them to be together if they opened themselves to each other? When we find out the Pharaoh's past, he'll have to return to his true time, what will happen then?'_ he thought to himself. Sure, he had once had feelings for Tea, but he had since come to terms that they were close friends and always would be. He let out a deep sigh when Yami's spirit appeared in the chair at his desk.

"Pharaoh? Is everything okay?" Yugi sat up alarmed.

"_**Don't worry Yugi, I bring good news. Tea seems to have remembered some more details about this situation,"**_ Yami said calmly with a small smirk.

"Really? That's great. What is it?" he asked.

"She said that while she was asleep she had felt cold suddenly almost as if someone had opened the window. She could also faintly hear a low voice; it was male, he spoke in another language and spoke as if he were casting a spell. She could only catch one word though which was 'Forever'. She also mentioned smelling a soft scent of smoke like the person was around a fire," the Pharaoh explained.

"She remembered all that?"

"It's amazing what your subconscious will unlock while you're resting," silence fell between them for a few moments before Yugi got an idea.

"Ishizu has more exhibits on Egypt at the museum. Maybe we can find out more about the enemy there," he said.

"That's a good idea Yugi. We can go tomorrow after you get out of school," Yami said and silence again fell in the room. Yami felt hope swell in his chest at the thought that they were closer to saving Tea. She would be excited to hear this as well. Just as he was about to return to the puzzle, Yugi spoke up once more.

"Pharaoh, can I ask you something?"

"Of course,"

"Earlier tonight when I asked how Tea was doing, you suddenly seemed nervous," Yugi noticed the spirit tense slightly, "Why was that?"

Yami wasn't sure what to say. When Yugi had asked the status of their friend he remembered when they were walking and he had let it slipped that she meant a lot to him.

"It was nothing Yugi, don't worry about it," he said quickly before retreating into the puzzle and leaving Yugi confused.

'_He'll tell me eventually,_' he sighed before falling asleep.

/oo/

_(Back in the puzzle)_

Tea sat beside Yami's room door as she waited for him to return. He said he was going to tell Yugi what she had told him before vanishing. She sighed as she leaned her head back against the wall.

"Everything okay Tea?" Yami asked as he walked up to her. She noticed he seemed to be in a good mood as she stood up. He was also smiling slightly.

"Yeah. Why are you so happy?" she asked.

"Yugi told me that Ishizu has opened more exhibits on Egypt. Tomorrow everyone is going to go and we are hopefully going to get an identity of who did this to you," he explained. Joy filled Tea's chest as she practically tackled Yami in a tight hug. She heard Yami let out a low chuckle and loosely returned to hug. It wasn't as awkward as she thought it would be, in fact, it was comfortable. She rested her head on his shoulder and sighed contently.

'This is nice,' she thought peacefully. Eventually she pulled back a little and looked up at his amethyst eyes.

"Thank you Yami," she said.

"Anytime Tea, you are a very dear friend to me," he replied. He pressed a chaste kiss to her forehead, "Let's get you back to your soul room."

"Okay," Tea said blushing as they walked back to her room. She was happy that she would hopefully be out of the puzzle soon but she also felt a pang in her chest that when she was gone, Yami would be alone once again within the puzzle. She looked towards the ground and grasped Yami's hand in her own. She couldn't hold back the smile on her face when she felt him squeeze her hand in reassurance.

**Review! Again, I'm sorry for the long wait I promise to try and prevent it happening again! Also if anyone has any ideas they wanna see, shoot me a PM or review and I'll see if it can work ^.^  
>Until next time, read and review! <strong>


	5. Chapter 5

**DISCLAIMER- I don't own Yugioh in anyway**

_**Chapter Five- Beginning to fade**_

_(a few days later)_

/oo/

"I am losing my patience with this girl!" the man snarled angrily. His henchmen all jumped and began to back away from their boss, knowing how bad his temper could get.

"If I may ask boss, why do you want to make the Pharaoh suffer?" one of the men asked. He flinched as his boss shot him an icy glare.

"It is not the Pharaoh that did me wrong. It was his father. However, since he is dead, I shall get my revenge through his son," he explained before letting out a low laugh.

/oo/

Yugi sighed as he continued looking through the internet for clues. Tristan and Joey had since fallen asleep and were currently snoring loudly on his bed. They had spent the last few days at the museum looking over the Egyptian exhibits, but unfortunately, only to come up empty handed.

"_Maybe this enemy has nothing to do with the Pharaoh in the way we believe," _Ishizu had said to them. At the time, none of them knew what she meant, but now it clicked. Being in a royal family, the Pharaoh would have had enemies he didn't even know. Enemies his father created or his grandfather, etc.

He didn't have chance to tell the Pharaoh this though. For the better part of the week, he had spent every chance he had keeping Tea safe. Her disappearing episodes had slowly more frequent and he was using whatever magic he could to make sure she stayed whole.

'_There's something that we are missing,'_ he said to himself as he continued looking through Egyptian history websites. His mind was going every little detail they had come across. But the one thing that kept coming to his mind was that this person could manipulate millennium powers. That's when he got an idea. He grabbed his phone and dialed a number,

"Ishizu? I need to ask you about the creation of the Millennium items."

/oo/

_(In the puzzle)_

Tea and Yami sat on one of the infinite staircases together, talking quietly to each other. Over the last few days, they had grown closer, spending more time together and talking.

"I was flickering a little bit on my soul room a little while ago," she said, hugging herself.

"I wonder if maybe the soul room I gave you is no longer preserving you. It was only meant to be temporary," he said. Tea sighed and went to take Yami's hand in her own, only to have it go through him and the stair.

Both went wide-eyed as Tea began to fade in and out rapidly. She tried to call out to Yami, but her voice had disappeared. For the quick second she became solid, Yami grabbed her hand and they ran through the endless halls until they reached his soul room. Yami thrusted her into the room and she immediately stopped fading.

"What happened," she whispered, trying to catch her breath. Yami was silent a moment as he too caught his breath.

"The shadow magic mixing with my own soul room seems to be protecting you, especially since this room is the center of my power and permanent since I live here. I materialize another bed for you. But it looks like we are sharing a soul room until this is over," he said finally.

Tea only nodded and looked around the room. The walls were stone and had hieroglyphs carved into them. Candles were on the wall, casting a yellow-orange glow along the stone and rest of the room. The bed in the corner was a simple one with red sheets. It looked as though it had barely been touched which didn't surprise her; even though she slept sometimes, Yami being an actual spirit never needed to. He probably only kept the bed for a sense of normalcy or whenever he made himself sleep. Beside the wooden was a wooden table that was bare. The room kind of reminded her of a dungeon.

"Will I ever be able to leave the room?" she asked.

"I'm not sure, for now just stay in here and we'll go from there," he said, giving her a loose hug. She returned the hug tightly as they stood there in silence.

/oo/

"The millennium items?" Ishizu asked sleepily over the phone.

"Yes, if this enemy can control what happens to the puzzle, maybe they have a connection to their creation," Yugi said. He felt bad waking her up at two in the morning to ask her this, but it was important.

"The millennium items were created through 99 sacrificed souls," she said simply.

"Where did the creator get that many souls?" he asked.

"Have you ever heard of Kul Elna?" Ishizu asked.

"Not really," he responded.

"Kul Elna was a village of thieves back in the Pharaoh's time. Everyone in the village was sacrificed to create the millennium items," she explained.

"Were there any survivors?" Yugi asked.

"Not that I'm aware of. But if there was someone who lived than they have reason for such revenge. Especially since the Pharaoh was in possession of the Millennium puzzle."

"Thanks Ishizu," Yugi said and hung up the phone. He let out a yawn and left the room to get ready for bed only to hear the phone ring. He stared at it a moment before answering. Had Ishizu remembered something else?

"Hello?" he asked.

"Give it up Pharaoh, she'll be gone soon and there's nothing you can do," a raspy voice said.

"Who is this?" Yugi asked as the puzzle began to glow.

/oo/

Yami was watching over Tea while she slept peacefully in his bed. He rarely ever used it and until he figured out how to materialize a second one, she would sleep in his.

He was curious to why Yugi was still awake and had listened in on his partner's conversation with Ishizu and thought of what she said about Kul Elna. Who would do such a thing to create the millennium items?

He was brought from his thoughts as he heard the phone ring again and this time it was a voice that neither he nor Yugi recognized.

"Give it up Pharaoh," he didn't hear the rest as he stood up and began to switch places with Yugi, silently praying that Tea would be unharmed by this.

/oo/

"Who is this?" Yami asked when Yugi hadn't gotten an answer. The voice chuckled.

"Hello Pharaoh," it said, "I hope you enjoy your time with your girl because soon you shall feel the same pain I felt all those years ago,"

"What do you mean?"

"You'll find out soon. I will enjoy our meeting. Goodbye now," then all Yami could hear was the dial tone.

**Review! I hope you all enjoyed. Sorry I know it isn't my best chapter but I tried haha. I changed how everyone found out about Kul Elna to make the story fit better. Don't worry, soon we shall meet this mysterious villain . Until next time, read and review! **


	6. Chapter 6

**DISCLAIMER- I don't own Yugioh in anyway**

**AN: I am sooooo sorry for the wait! I have had skool and medical things going on that required surgery just recently. But now I am MUCH better and on an extended spring break to recover and I can finally update! **

_**Bold italics- Yami**_

_Underlined italics- Yugi_

_**Chapter Six-Enter the Villian**_

Tea nervously spread her hand along the bed sheets as she watched Yami angrily pace the soul room. Ever since he returned from taking over Yugi's body, he hadn't spoken a word to her, only paced and muttered quietly to himself.

"Yami, what happened?" she asked warily. She couldn't help but flinch slightly when his sharp amethyst eyes snapped over to her. He let out a deep sigh and came to sit beside her on the bed.

"Yugi received a phone call from the person behind this ordeal," he explained quietly. Tea's eyes widened in surprise and she turned her body to face his.

"What did they say?" Yami squeezed his eyes shut as the man's words echoed in his head. How he would lose Tea soon and that he would feel the same pain the man had felt. The thought of losing Tea forever…

"Yami?" Tea gently shook his shoulder and brought him out of his thoughts.

"He said we will meet soon and we can't prevent you from fading."

"But we've prevented it for this long and I was supposed to have disappeared weeks ago!" Tea argued.

"There have been multiple close calls and the only reason you are here now is because you are in my soul room and I'm using as much shadow magic as possible to keep you safe," Yami responded calmly. Tea clenched her fists in her lap to keep herself from shaking. He was right; the only reason she was still in existence was because he was using all the power he could to keep her here. But eventually, even Yami's power could weaken or even run out…

"Tea?" Yami called softly, "Tea, are you okay?"

"You're right," she said, "The only reason I'm here is because of your shadow magic. But even you can't keep it so powerful. Sooner or later, it will weaken and I could vanish," she tightened her fists and kept her gaze down towards the mattress.

"Then I will make sure that we save you before that can happen," he said as he pulled her into a loose embrace, "I'll protect you Tea, I promise. I will save you from such a fate."

Tea wrapped her arms around him and rested her head on his shoulder. A small smile appeared on her face at his protectiveness and her heart swelled in happiness. Even though she was terrified of whatever may happen, she couldn't help but feel contentment in Yami's arms.

She had always had feelings for the mysterious Pharaoh over the course of their friendship. She wasn't sure when or how the feelings came to be, but ever since she appeared in the puzzle and spent so much time with him, it was getting harder and harder to hide how she felt.

"Thank you Yami," she whispered and held him tighter. She felt him place a soft kiss to her temple and she looked up at him. He stared back at her intently and she felt her heartbeat speed up when she realized their faces were growing closer.

"Tea," Yami breathed, "May I kiss you?"

Tea nodded and closed her eyes as their lips met in a sweet kiss.

/oo/

Yugi woke up and jumped out of bed. He began to quickly dress as he called Tristan.

"Tristan, can you meet me at the museum? I want to check out those new Egypt exhibits," He asked.

"Yeah, I'll pick up Joey," Tristan answered. Yugi said a quick thanks before hanging up and running out of the game shop.

/oo/

_(At the museum)_

"So, why are we here?" Joey asked.

"Ishizu told me how the millennium items were created with 99 sacrificed souls from the village of Kul Elna. Maybe if we find some information on this village, we can find our enemy," Yugi explained.

"But what if we just find information that we already know?" Tristan wondered aloud.

"Then we wait until this guy contacts us again and find a way to meet him," Yugi said. They walked along the Egyptian exhibits, reading as much as they could. Eventually they made it to the end of the exhibits and saw a door marked 'RESTRICTED'.

"Should we go in?" Tristan asked.

"Yeah! This is for a good cause! We have to save our friend's soul!" Joey exclaimed. Yugi pushed the door and was surprised to find it unlocked. Inside was more Egyptian exhibits. The trio immediately began to find anything that could be helpful. It felt like hours had passed and neither of them could find anything. It was as if Kul Elna never existed.

"Yug I'm not finding anything!" Joey complained, "Has the Pharaoh thought of anything?"

"I haven't spoken to him since last night," Yugi said. Actually, he hadn't even spoken to the Pharaoh then either, both were too frustrated by the phone call that Yami immediately went back into the puzzle and he stared at the phone for the next few hours in hopes that the man would call again.

"Hey! I found something!" Tristan exclaimed. The two made their way over to him and looked at the wall.

"Well, where is it?" Joey asked.

"What are you blind?" Tristan asked and pointed to the wall, "Right there!" Yugi walked up to it and read what was typed:

"_Kul Elna" was a village of thieves in Ancient  
>Egypt. Not much is known about this<br>village except for its mysterious past. All of the  
>villagers vanished without a trace one night and the<br>village was soon forgotten. Some believe it was a mass  
>murder by old bloodstains found among the ruins, but others<br>say that the occupants simply left for a new home._

"Did anyone else get the chills while reading that?" Tristan asked.

"This doesn't tell us anything!" Joey groaned and sat down on the floor.

"Not so fast Joey, maybe this is a good clue," Yugi said, _"What do you think Pharaoh?"_ Yugi asked through the link, only to get silence as a response _"Pharaoh?" _

"**Hmm?"**

"_What do you think about all this?" _

"**All of what?"** he asked as he materialized next to Yugi who was taken back. This wasn't like Yami.

"_About Kul Elna."_

"**Oh,"**

"_Are you okay Pharaoh?"_

"**I'm perfectly fine Yugi,"** he said and Yugi saw a small smile appear on his face and a pinkish tint to his cheeks. He chose to ignore it for the moment as Yami continued, **"I do not recognize the name at all nor do I remember anything."**

"Ishizu said that the 99 souls from the village were murdered to get the millennium items. Maybe there was a survivor or two,"Yugi said aloud.

"Or maybe the person wasn't a villager in Kul Elna. Maybe there was someone in Kul Elna that he cared for and wants to avenge?" Tristan asked. Suddenly, a deep laughter filled the room causing everyone to jump.

"Both of your theories are correct except for one minor detail," a deep yet raspy voice said "I did live in that village."

"Who are you?" Tristan yelled. The voice seemed to come from thin air as it echoed through the room.

"Come to the roof and find out," with that, the voice was gone and everything was silent again. The three wasted no time running to the roof. When they got there, a man stood on the other side. He was very large and muscular with dark tan skin. His black hair was pulled back into a ponytail and he wore Ancient Egyptian clothing.

"Who are you?" Yugi demanded.

"Why so quick to the subject? I believe we are missing a guest," the man said as he stepped forward, "Oh Pharaoh! Come out and play!"

Yugi's puzzle began to glow and within moments, Yami stood in Yugi's place.

"Who are you?" he demanded angrily.

"You sound just like your host," the man sneered, "My name is Akori."

"What do you want Akori?"

"I want you to feel the same pain I felt when I lost the woman I loved!" Akori yelled angrily.

"Why me?"

"You have your father to thank," Akori angrily yelled.

"My father?" Yami asked cautiously, the word almost foreign to him.

"Your damned father is the reason Kul Elna was destroyed! The reason I lost my home and my Akana!"

"What are you talking about?" Tristan asked from behind Yami.

"Yo Pharaoh, I'm starting to think this guy is a little crazy," Joey said. Akori laughed darkly, making shivers run down everyone's spines.

"Of course your precious Pharaoh would not remember this he probably was a mere infant," he said.

"I'm kinda having trouble picturing Pharaoh here as a baby," Joey said with a smirk.

"Quiet Joey," Yami said as Akori continued.

"Your father banished me from the palace where I was a servant after he found me with a few jewels that I'm sure no one would have missed. I lived in Kul Elna and met my true love," he began to explain.

"Oh, gag me," Joey groaned causing Tristan to elbow him in the ribs.

"So you come after me for something that my father may have done?" Yami asked. He clenched his fist, feeling his anger rise.

"Your father did do this Pharaoh, he died before I could get my revenge, making you next in line," Akori growled, "However, maybe I can reverse the spell if you indulge me in a little game."

"A game?"

"I'm sure you are familiar with Shadow games. You win you get your girl back, I win and you can kiss her goodbye. Do you accept?" Yami stood in silence a few moments before answering.

"I accept,"

"Excellent," Akori sneered, "I can't wait to watch you lose and I will get my revenge for the lost souls of Kul Elna and for that little white-haired boy."

"What white-haired boy?" Yami asked. Akori gave a sinister smile.

"Wouldn't you like to know," he snarled and suddenly the wind picked up, causing everyone to shield their eyes. When the wind stopped, everyone looked and saw Akori was gone.


	7. Chapter 7

**DISCLAIMER- I don't own Yugioh in anyway**

**AN: I'm alive! So sorry for not updating sooner! School got in the way and then just laziness set in because of summer lolz. Anyway, I am back and hopefully can get this story back up and going . Btw, this chapter is really just a filler chapter until the next lolz.**

_**Bold italics- Yami**_

_**Chapter Seven-Talking**_

/oo/

Yugi pulled the blankets over himself and stared up at the ceiling. The moonlight flowed through his window, casting shadows everywhere. His mind kept flashing back to earlier that day on the roof when they first met Akori and he challenged the Pharaoh to a game. He closed his eyes and let out a sigh.

"**What's the matter Yugi?"** Yami asked as he materialized in the room, sitting on the chair at the desk beside the bed. He seemed calm as always, not fazed at all by the upcoming events.

"Aren't you worried about what Akori's up to?" he asked, "What if he can speed up the spell or something and make Tea disappear?"

"**He won't do anything before our game,"** Yami replied, **"Besides, even if he wanted to, he couldn't; I'm using my own magic to preserve Tea, so it would waste too much energy to try." **Deep down, Yami knew that it wouldn't take much for Akori to strengthen the spell he already had on Tea, but he couldn't let Yugi know that; he had to keep him calm, had to keep _himself _calm.

"I guess," Yugi sighed, "You know more about shadow magic than I do."

"**Everything will be alright Yugi,"** Yami reassured his host. The two fell into silence as Yami began to stare aimlessly at the sky out the window. Yugi studied the Pharaoh carefully, for the past few days he had been acting out of character. He had originally wanted to wait for Yami to come and talk to him, but now was as good a time as any to bring it up.

"Hey Pharaoh," he began.

"**Yes?"**

"Are you feeling okay?"

"**I am perfectly well Yugi,"** he answered, looking back at him, raising an eyebrow, **"Why do you ask?"**

"It's just that you've been acting strange for the past few days," he let himself trail off for a moment before continuing, "Did something happen before with you and Tea?" The blush that spread across the Pharaoh's face was enough of an answer for him.

"Something _did_ happen!"

"**We don't really need to talk about this at the moment,"** Yami said, obviously uncomfortable.

"Come on Pharaoh, you can tell me,"

"**There isn't much to tell,"** he tried to reason.

"It has to be something if it has you acting the way you have been these past few days and blushing," He watched the spirit heave a sigh and look out the window again. He seemed to have been in deep thought, debating whether or not to tell. What had happened? Had they gotten into a fight? Was their friendship in trouble? But if that was the case, then why would he be blushing?

"**Very well,"** he said reluctantly, **"Right before you and the others went to the museum,"** he paused a moment, **"Tea and I kissed."**

"You kissed?" Yugi exclaimed. Yami winced at how loud the boy was but nodded nonetheless.

"Why are you so upset then?" he asked. He knew that the Pharaoh had strong feelings for Tea for some time and for the first time he saw some good coming out of trapping Tea in the puzzle with the exception of her vanishing.

"**It can never be Yugi,"** Yami mentioned sadly**, "I belong 3,000 years into the past while she belongs in this world."**

"Pharaoh," Yugi began but stopped when the spirit stood.

"**Get some sleep Yugi, you have school in the morning and we must be at our best for whenever Akori decides to strike again,"** With that, Yami disappeared back into the puzzle. Yugi sighed once more and closed his eyes,

"_You never know Pharaoh, maybe there is hope for you and Tea,"_

/oo/

_(In the Puzzle)_

Ever since Yami had told her what had happened on the museum roof that day, Tea had been on edge. Akori seemed to have powers that were beyond their imaginations, what if he tried to pull something and speed up her disappearing process? Yami had also told her about the shadow game which had provided a small amount of comfort to her, knowing that Yami would have no problem, unless Akori had something up his sleeve.

She pulled her legs up so they rested against her chest and hugged herself. She looked down at the soft pink sheets beneath her on her new bed Yami helped her materialize. It was a replica of the one in her room, giving her more comfort at having something familiar. Resting her chin on her knee, Tea's mind flashed through all the events that had taken place that day, more importantly, the kiss.

What did it mean? Did Yami reciprocate her feelings or were they both just caught up in the moment? If they did share one another's feelings, would it even work; a teenage girl who was an aspiring dancer and a 3,000 year old Pharaoh whose spirit resided within a puzzle owned by her childhood friend? It even sounded impossible.

Tea was brought back from her thoughts when Yami suddenly appeared in the room, looking troubled.

"Is everything alright?" she asked, uncurling herself from her fetal position. His sharp, amethyst eyes looked up and focused on her as he took a deep breath.

"Yes Tea, everything is fine," he answered, but even his voice betrayed him; he sounded tired, distracted. She swung her legs over the edge of the bed and patted the space next to her. He studied it for a moment before complying and taking a seat beside her.

"What's really the matter?" she asked, "Come on, you can tell me."

"That's exactly what Yugi said to me," he let out a small chuckle before turning serious, "We need to talk Tea."

"I kinda figured that,"

"That kiss-," he stopped himself, trying to find his words. She stared at her hand that rested on her lap, preparing herself. She knew what he was going to say; it shouldn't have happened, they could not jeopardize their friendship in such a way.

"It was nice," he said and her eyes looked up in surprise, "But it shouldn't have happened," she let her gaze fall again at his words.

"I know I was the one who asked to kiss you, but it's nearly impossible for us. You belong out in the real world, while I belong 3,000 years in the past. I don't even have my own body," he continued.

"I know," she said sadly, "But we don't have to worry about our future other than setting me free. We can always live in the moment," she suggested.

"We shall see," he sighed, "Right now, my main goal is to get you out of here and back to where you are safe," giving her a small smile before moving to the other side of the room in thought. Tea watched his back as he began to pace the room again.

"_It's not impossible,"_ she thought to herself, determined, _"There's always some kind of way."_

**Review! I'm sorry if this chapter is bad! It sounded better in my head, but then again it is just a filler chapter, try and put something there. Next chapter will focus on Akori and his past so we all get to see what he experienced all those centuries ago. Until next time, Read and Review! .**


	8. Chapter 8

**DISCLAIMER- I don't own Yugioh in anyway**

**AN: I'm alive! I feel so bad for not updating sooner! School is crazy right now that when I get free time I never do anything. There are only a few chapters left of the story! This chapter focuses on Akori and his past. **

_**Chapter Eight- Akori's Story**_

/oo/

(A few thousand years ago)

A baby's wail filled the night air as the midwife held the small bundle in her arms. The man knelt by his wife and held her hand as she wearily looked at the elderly woman.

"It's a boy," the midwife said with a smile. The new parents smiled as the mother took her new son into her arms, holding him close. Her husband gently touched the baby's fist as it fussed loudly.

"He's perfect," the woman smiled.

"Akori," the man said, "His name is Akori,"

"Akori," the woman whispered and smiled down at her baby.

/oo/

(Eight years later)

Akori's family was not a rich one; his father worked as a trader and brought in enough money for food while his mother stayed home to care for the both of them. When Akori was eight, his father became ill from a strange disease.

"How are you feeling?" he heard his mother ask. The only response heard was a fit of hoarse coughs. Akori poked his head into the room where his father was shaking under the blanket, groaning softly. His mother sat nearby, wetting a cloth to place on his forehead. She looked up and saw Akori peeking in and walked over to him.

"Go outside, Akori," she said, "I don't want you to get sick as well."

"Will papa be okay?" he asked, quietly. His mother sighed, her face showing her exhaustion. She managed to give a tight smile.

"I hope so," she answered before fixing her husband's blankets. Akori turned around and walked outside; the sunlight and everyday noise suddenly feeling foreign to him. What would happen if his father died? How would he and his mother survive? He had no special talents to use for work nor was he a good trader like his father was.

"Akori?" another small voice spoke. Akori looked up and saw his friend, Ptah, standing by the door, "Do you want to come to the market with me? My mother asked me to get some things,"

"Sure," he answered, shrugging his shoulders. Ptah's family was a merchant family and did much better than Akori's father. He was also the oldest of four, having two younger sisters and a new baby brother. They had lived beside one another for years, quickly becoming friends even though Ptah was two years older.

It wasn't until dark that the two returned to their homes and saying their goodbyes. Akori's home was unusually quiet, there was no coughing, no water splashing from his mother wetting a cloth, nothing. He slowly walked into his parents' room and peeked inside; it was dark, his father lying in the bed, motionless.

Slowly, Akori walked closer to his father. Was he sleeping? Had his fever finally broken and he would get better? As he crept closer, he held out his hand, ready to shake his father when a hand grabbed his wrist.

"Akori, don't," his mother scolded, her voice broken and watery. He turned to his mother and saw the tear stains on her cheeks, her expression defeated.

"Did papa-?" he didn't finish his question, he didn't need to.

"They will collect his body shortly," she said quietly before bending down and hugging Akori close. He couldn't remember if he had cried or not.

/oo/

Food was becoming scarcer for Akori and his mother since his father had died. It wasn't until a few months later that his mother told him that she was now a servant of the pharaoh's palace. He wasn't sure how she got such a position, but he never asked.

In the following weeks, Akori had moved with his mother into the servants' quarters. His mother was to be one of the maids to the Pharaoh's wife. Akori wasn't sure what his place was; there were few children around, making him often miss Ptah and his little siblings.

As he grew older, he began to help clean the palace while his mother tended to the queen. Sometimes, he would find himself feeling envious of the royal family and wanting everything they had: jewels, riches, and no worries. As the years passed, he felt that feeling grow stronger and stronger.

/oo/

(Four years later)

When he was twelve, another sickness spread throughout the land and his mother, unfortunately, caught it.

"_Mother, you can't die," Akori had told her. _

"_I'm sorry Akori, but I don't think I'm strong enough anymore," she had replied, weakly. That would be all she could say before a fit of coughing would overcome her and she would fall asleep._

It wasn't long before she died in Akori's arms. After that, Akori's jealousy strengthened more for there was one more thing the royals had that he didn't: A family.

He began to do more work around the palace, cleaning and helping the cooks. There were never children his age to spend time with, nobody to talk to or even begin to understand him. This was not a life he wanted. He wanted their life, surrounded by people constantly, having such amazing power over Egypt, everything he ever wanted. His mother always told him to be happy with what he had and not covet what others possessed, but the longer he spent in the palace, the more his mother's words faded from his mind.

/oo/

When he was eighteen, it was announced that the Pharaoh and Queen were expecting their first child. Everyone was celebrating and congratulating the two as the queen kept a hand on her stomach, rubbing it lovingly. Akori kept his distance, staying in the corner with mock happiness when really he was growing angry.

In a short nine months, the queen gave birth to a baby boy. He looked like his mother with the same amethyst eyes and multi-colored hair, except unlike hers that fell straight down her back, reaching her waist, his hair was messy and spiky, poking out in all directions. He was doted on by everyone, never alone. But he would hear the Pharaoh's priests and priestesses say that there was a strong power coming from the boy, something dark. But one would never tell looking at that baby's big, innocent eyes.

The queen would often sit with him and play little games with him, making him constantly laugh cheerfully that always sounded like a high pitched squeal. No matter where he was in the palace, he would hear that baby's laughter alongside the queen's. A mother and son spending so much time together. It would often make him think of his own mother. Whenever he saw them together, though he was jealous of the fact they were a family, the feeling was no longer as strong.

It would be shame that the prince would lose her when he would be only six. No one knew the real reason behind her death, some say it was sickness while others went as far to say it was murder. Akori never knew for sure.

/oo/

(Nine years later)

He wasn't sure what had possessed him to steal jewels from the palace, but he had and it wasn't long before he was caught. He was brought forward to the Pharaoh whose angered eyes gazed down on him.

"Akori, you are brought before me because you stole precious jewels from us. What is your explanation?"

"I do not know," was his reply. He looked up at the Pharaoh and moved his gaze to the figure beside the throne; the prince. At the age of nine he was a skinny boy who was slightly tall for his age but not by much. He looked so much like his mother who he had lost only three years prior. That strange power that the priests and priestesses used to talk about was a bit more prominent in his eyes, which had sharpened over the years. He may not have looked it, but Akori could tell that the prince could easily become a threat to his future enemies.

"You don't know?!" The Pharaoh roared, making Akori wince and the prince's eyes widen in terror at his father's voice, "Such a crime could call for death!" Akori remained silent as he stared at the floor.

"But I shall spare you death," his voice was calmer now, frightfully so, "Instead, I banish you to Kul Elna where the other thieves reside," with that, Akori was taken out of the palace and the kingdom.

/oo/

Kul Elna was a small, poor village that no one paid any mind to. It was quiet and surprisingly easy for Akori to find his place in the little place. His home was on the very edge of the village and closest to the river for water, which was about a mile off.

It was there he met Akana. She was a head shorter than Akori with long brown hair, reaching just below her waist with warm brown eyes and golden tan skin. They had met while getting water by the river.

"Why are you here?" she had asked.

"Why are you?"

"I believe I asked you first," she laughed and Akori felt his face grow red.

"I stole some jewels," he said simply, "What about you?"

"I was born here," she answered, "My parents would steal from the market in our village, then they were caught."

"I'm sorry," he said quietly and was surprised to find her laughing, "What's so funny?"

"Why are you apologizing?" she asked and his red face only made her laugh more, "I think I like you," she said, making him smile.

/oo/

About a year had passed and their relationship bloomed and soon they were engaged to be married. They lived together in Akori's home and things seemed to have been finally falling into place for Akori.

Then, one night, he had gone out to get water from the river. He was just about done when the sound of screaming coming from the village made him turn and run back to Akana. What he was met with was terrifying. Blood was everywhere as bodies littered the ground. Some homes were on fire while others had collapsed. Some of the victims looked like they had been running away while others looked as if they had been trying to hide.

Without thinking, Akori ran to his home in hopes of finding Akana alive, but instead found her body in the doorway, on her stomach, as if she had been running. Falling to his knees, Akori placed his hand on Akana's shoulder and apologized quietly for not being there.

The sound of horses made Akori come back to reality and quickly hide himself from view as he heard voices.

"Was that everyone?" a man asked.

"Yes, I believe so, all 99 souls," another man replied. Akori carefully poked his head out and saw a group of soldiers talking among themselves. He immediately recognized them; they were the Pharaoh's men. Anger welled up inside of him as he watched the men mount their horses and leave the burning village. He wanted revenge, he would make the Pharaoh pay for destroying his only chance at happiness. Akori stood and went into his home to collect what was left of his things.

But not before he saw the little white-haired boy run away.

/oo/

(A few years later)

Akori had traveled all over, learning everything he could about magic and curses. He was ready to avenge Akana and Kul Elna. It was easy to disguise himself as he made his way through the village, towards the palace. But he was shocked at the news he was met with in passing.

The Pharaoh was dead. He had fallen ill and passed away in his bed, with the prince by his side. Now at fifteen, the prince was to be crowned the Pharaoh of Egypt and was the last of his line for the time being.

Annoyance was what Akori felt, for so long he had been preparing to take out his revenge on the Pharaoh, but now he couldn't. But he could always go to the next of kin: the prince.

"**Ptah" is an ancient Egyptian name meaning 'opener'. So I'm sorry if this chapter sux, it was actually harder than I thought it would be but hopefully it's decent haha. Next chapter is the beginning of the long awaited Shadow Game! :D Tell me what you think! Read and review! **


	9. Chapter 9

**DISCLAIMER- I don't own Yugioh in anyway**

**AN: I'm alive! There is no excuse that I have been neglecting my stories! I got excepted into the college I've wanted to get into so now it's been nothing but school work and preparing for September. But I am back and hopefully you can all forgive me?**

**Okay! So this is the start of the Shadow game! I wanna give a huge thanks to** **BlackRoseDragonCK****who helped me put together the shadow game and questions a long time ago when I originally was working on this chapter haha. Hope you enjoy it! **

**_Chapter Nine- Let the Shadow Game Begin… _**

The sun was rising and Yugi hadn't gotten more than two hours sleep, at the most. There were butterflies in his stomach and he was sure that the Pharaoh was not fairing much better. In a mere few hours, the Pharaoh would face Akori in a game that determined Tea's soul living in her body once more or disappearing into the shadow realm.

"_I have to have faith that the Pharaoh will win. Shadow games are what he did best in the beginning,"_ he thought to himself. He thought about his friend's soulless body in the next room, her empty brown eyes staring at the ceiling.

"_Please be safe, Tea,"_ he begged mentally before closing his eyes once more.

/oo/

_(In the puzzle)_

Tea opened her eyes to the sound of something tapping. She silently sat up and saw Yami leaning against the wall, staring at the floor, his hands clenched with his knuckles hitting the stone wall in a rhythmic tapping, something Yugi sometimes did when they had a big test in school to study for; it would calm his nerves.

"Morning," she said. He immediately looked up and stopped the tapping.

"Did you rest enough?" he asked, quietly, pushing himself away from the wall and walking over. He sat down on the floor and leaned against the bed.

"I guess," she shrugged then sighed, "So today is the day. The shadow game,"

"Indeed it is," he muttered and closed his eyes. Tea placed a hand on his shoulder and felt warmth flood in through her when he placed his on hand on top. They were silent for a few minutes, tension hanging heavily in the air for what was to come.

"I will win for you Tea," he vowed, "I won't let Akori send you to the shadow realm or wherever it is he was planning to take you to."

"I know," she slid off the bed and took a seat beside him.

"You'll be back in your body before you know it," he continued, his voice quiet.

"And then what?" she asked, making him look at her, "What will happen after I'm back out there and you are still in here?"

"I don't know, Tea," she sighed at his response but knew that now was not the time to bring up the subject. She scooted closer and carefully wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head on his shoulder. He pulled her further into the embrace and they continued to sit in a pregnant silence.

"Yami, I'm scared," she whispered, picking her head up and looking into his amethyst eyes. Yami swallowed, but didn't answer he couldn't let her know that he was afraid too. That would only make her nerves worse. No, he had to stay strong for not just Tea but for everybody else as well.

"Yami?" he was brought out of his thoughts and looked down at her. He couldn't show her his underlying fear. He needed to distract her.

So he kissed her.

/oo/

_(In the real world-a few hours later)_

There were no words exchanged between the three friends as they made their way back to the museum. Luckily, it was not as crowded as their last visit.

"Has the Pharaoh said anything, Yugi?" Tristan finally asked as they walked up the stairs to the large building.

"No, I haven't heard a thing since yesterday," Yugi responded, "But then again, he is probably just as anxious. Not to mention he has to keep Tea from disappearing."

"Plus knowing how Tea is always worrying, he probably has to keep her from going crazy," Joey joked, but neither of his companions laughed, "So where are we meeting this guy anyway?"

"I'm guessing the roof," Yugi said.

/oo/

_(On the roof)_

The wind blew as the group walked out onto the roof, seeing no one in sight.

"Well, where is he?" Tristan asked, confused. The wind began to blow harder and suddenly, Akori stood on the other side of the roof.

"Hello," was all her said.

"Okay, jerk! Give us back Tea!" Joey yelled, causing Akori to chuckle.

"I believe we have a game set, first," he replied, "Come on out, Pharaoh!" The puzzle began to glow and within seconds, Yami stood in Yugi's place. His face was stoic and dark, he looked like he had in the past, dangerous and merciless.

"Greetings my Pharaoh," Akori said, "Shall we begin?" speaking in a foreign tongue, the puzzle glowed again, except this time, a bright light flowed from it and took a spot beside Akori. The light materialized into Tea who looked petrified. On Akori's other side, a casket appeared and opened, revealing the images of six millennium items.

"The rules are simple," Akori began, "This game involves only three people: you, me, and your girl. No one else. The millennium items represent your past and your girlfriend here represents your present and future. I will ask you a series of questions, each one harder than the last. If you answer involves your current "life," a millennium item will disappear. However, if your answer is based on your forgotten memories of Egypt, the girl will vanish a little more."

"That sounds too easy," Joey called from the sidelines.

"He's right! With those rules, it's too straightforward," Tristan added.

"I wasn't finished," Akori stated calmly, "After all, we haven't even entered our playing field," with that, everything began to fall away until the world was engulfed in darkness, the feeling of dread hanging heavily in the air. In front of Yami, a silver platform appeared and between him and Akori, a scale materialized with a feather on one scale and the millennium puzzle on the other. The seventh millennium item.

"Where are we?!" Tristan yelled.

"The Shadow Realm," Yami answered, gravely as Akori laughed.

"How right you are, Pharaoh!" he rumbled, "I am sure you are familiar with the 'Weighing of the Heart' ceremony in the Ancient Egyptian book of the dead? The person's heart is placed on the scale along with the feather. The person's heart must never be lighter or heavier than the feather, always completely equal. Only then, can the person pass on into the afterlife."

"What are you getting at?" Yami asked.

"Our game will be based on that ceremony. If you answer questions just so that she will be saved, I will know. I can detect deceit, my dear Pharaoh, and if I find that you are lying than, well, the repercussions will not be pleasant. But to ensure I am fair, you will stand on the platform where the puzzle will represent your heart. When you answer a question, the platform will read your heart and determine your answer. If the feather is level with the puzzle, an item will disappear. But, if it is heavier or lighter, the girl will begin to vanish," he explained. Yami looked at his friends who all gave encouraging nods, before turning his attention to Tea who put on a brave face while her fear radiated off her in waves.

"I accept the terms of your game," he declared, finally.

"Very well," Akori chuckled, darkly, "Game Start!"

Yami stepped onto the platform and casted a glance at the scales where the feather and puzzle mirage rested. He would win this game. He _needed_ to win this game!

"Let's start with an easy one," Akori said, "Which is more important to you? Your little host or your own life?"

"Yugi," Yami answered, almost immediately. The scales slowly began to tilt back and forth, testing his answer before finally stopping at equal weight. In the casket, the millennium key disappeared.

"Don't get too confident. The questions will get harder," he growled as Yami kept as stoic a face as possible.

"Next question: What is more important? Your power as a Pharaoh, or the safety of your friends' world?"

"My friends' world," Yami responded, "After all, it has been more of a home to me as well," the scales barely moved, still remaining completely equal width. The millennium scales were the next to go.

"Which is more important to you? Your loved ones back in ancient Egypt or your dear friends in the twenty-first century?" Yami took a deep breath, before answering. It was not a hard question; his friends would be the first choice, but the past he lost was his family and those he had been close too as well.

"My friends," he answered, but as he said it, he felt an unknown ache in his heart, as if he had just been stabbed with the sharpest knife. He couldn't understand the feeling, not regretting his answer, but wishing he didn't have to answer at all. Even if he couldn't remember, his past was just as important as the present. The scales began to move quicker than they had before. When they finally stopped, it felt as if the air had been sucked out of the area, the millennium puzzle appearing to be heavier than the feather.

"Tea!" Yami yelled panicked when he heard her let out a sharp cry and fade a little more. Akori laughed.

"I can sense your confusion, Pharaoh. You see, the longing you feel for your family still resides in you even if you don't remember them. Due to that, your heart's feelings were altered because it couldn't decide which overran the other," he explained, "This shall be truly interesting." Yami suppressed a growl of anger as he waited for his next question.

"What is more important to you? Your little girlfriend's life or the father you were once so close to?" Yami hesitated answering again. He knew the answer was Tea, but he remember what had just transpired just a few moments earlier; the scales tilted away from his favor because of his bond with his friends and love for his family. He knew Akori was playing with his emotions; subtly throwing in that he and his father were close to one another, making him feel that familiar ache in his chest again. He remembered the times when Yugi would talk to Grandpa about his dad and Yami always felt a weird feeling then too. He could even remember the times when Tea would become so excited because her parents were returning from another one of their trips after not seeing them for so long. Taking a moment to compose himself, Yami closed his eyes and re-opened them, quickly, the fire returning in the amethyst orbs.

"Tea's life," he said, confidently. The scales moved for what felt like an eternity, moving higher than lower, higher and lower. Eventually they slowed and the scales were equal, the millennium rod vanishing from sight. Even Yami couldn't keep the sigh of relief from escaping his lips.

"It's not over yet, Pharaoh," Akori warned, "There are still a few more questions to go."

"Then ask them,"

"Very well, What is more important to you? Your precious puzzle and the other millennium items or your host?" Suddenly, the real millennium puzzle glowed and Yami watched in shock as Yugi materialized beside Tea.

"Yugi!" Joey yelled from the sidelines.

"You said that no one else would be involved! You lied!" Tristan shouted. Akori only laughed. Anger bubbled in Yami's veins; Akori was cheating! He had said that the game would only involve them and Tea, no one else. It was bad enough that Tea had been a victim to this from the beginning, but now he was going to try and harm Yugi, his host who long since become more of a brother to him than anything else. This would not be tolerated. As soon as the game was over…

"Yugi," he said, his voice calm but held underlying rage. The air seemed to become heavier in the air as Yami felt an old but familiar darkness enter him. The scales didn't even move, staying perfectly level. The millennium ring disappeared from the casket and Yugi's soul returned to the puzzle.

"I have no further use of your host, but that doesn't mean it won't change later on," Akori sneered.

"What is more important? The girl or your own name?" Yami's eyes narrowed at his opponent, this question was too easy.

"Tea," he responded. Even if he never discovered his true name, he would still have the new identity his friends gave him; Yami. The scales remained in place as the millennium eye disappeared.

"You've been doing well, Pharaoh," Akori said, "This will be the last question, it will either make all the items disappear, including the puzzle on the scales. Or it will make the girl fade away forever. Are you ready?"

"Yes," Yami said, bracing himself mentally.

"Which is truly more important to you...The girl's safe return to the real world outside your Puzzle...or whether or not she still feels the same about you once she is free from your prison?"

**Cliffhanger! Review! I hope you liked it. I never wrote something like this before so I hope it wasn't bad. We find out how this all ends in the next chapter and since I am on break, I can hopefully update sooner! Again, HUGE, HUGE, HUGE Thanks to** "**BlackRoseDragonCK" for helping me through the Shadow game because I was completely blocked haha. **

**Until next time, Read and Review!**


	10. Chapter 10

**DISCLAIMER- I don't own Yugioh in anyway**

**AN: This is not the last chapter! There are still two more chapters I want to take care of PLUS an epilogue! So that's three all together so do not fret!**

**_Chapter Ten- The Final Outcome_**

_RECAP:_

"_You've been doing well, Pharaoh," Akori said, "This will be the last question, it will either make all the items disappear, including the puzzle on the scales. Or it will make the girl fade away forever. Are you ready?" _

"_Yes," Yami said, bracing himself mentally. _

"_Which is truly more important to you...the girl's safe return to the real world outside your Puzzle...or whether or not she still feels the same about you once she is free from your prison?"_

/oo/

_Italics- Yugi talking_

**Bold- Yami thinking/talking to Yugi**

Time seemed to have slowed as Yami processed the question in his mind. It was another simple answer: Tea's safety, back into the real world where she belonged with friends and family. He should have answered immediately, but he couldn't bring the words out of his mouth, something was holding him back.

There was no doubt there would be difficulty to continue their relationship once she was outside, if there would even be a relationship at all. He had tried so hard in the past to keep his feelings repressed, knowing that it was physically impossible to be with Tea in the real world, unless he was using Yugi's body. Not to mention, he would not be in the cursed puzzle forever; he would find out his identity and move on, leaving only heartbreak in his wake for both of them.

The sound of soft creaking made Yami turn his attention back to the scales that had already began to weigh the puzzle as he thought of his response. The odds were not in his favor as the puzzle seemed to be heavier than the feather, showing his anxiety over the question. This should not have caused such turmoil in him.

"Come on, Pharaoh!" Joey yelled, "Answer the question and Tea is home free!"

"Silence!" Akori shouted over at him, before setting his sights back on Yami.

"Why are you hesitating, Pharaoh?" Akori taunted. Closing his eyes, Yami gritted his teeth and tried to focus on nothing else but his thoughts.

"_Pharaoh?"_ he heard Yugi's voice break through his concentration. The spirit of his host appeared at his side, concern etched on his face.

"**It is fine, Yugi," **

"_What's wrong?"_

"**I can't answer. I do not know which one is the truth,"**

"_Well you want her safe don't you?"_ Yugi asked and at Yami's nod, he continued, _"Then answer her safety. That is the most important."_

"**You don't think I know that? But deep down, I fear that when she is free from me-,"** Yami cute himself off, but Yugi knew the rest of his statement.

"_That she will realize that her feelings are not the same?" he asked. Yami closed his eyes in pain and clenched his fist, "Pharaoh, you and I both know that isn't like Tea,"_

"**When confined for a long enough time with only one person can do wonders on a person's psyche. They may believe things that are not true. Even to go as far as to create false feelings or intensify them to handle the situation better,"**

"_You and I both know that isn't the case here,"_ Yami noticed how Yugi's voice was suddenly stern, almost sounding like his own. With that Yugi disappeared back in the puzzle. Taking a deep breath, Yami opened his eyes and stared at Akori, trying to repress his growing anxiety.

"Do we have an answer?" Akori asked in a taunting tone.

"Tea's safety," Yami said quietly, his heart constricting in his chest at hearing his words, "As long as she is safe,"

"Let's see about that," everyone looked at the scales which seemed to move faster than they had before, the once quiet creaking had turned into a shrill screech. Yami tried to keep his breathing in check as everyone else stared at the puzzle. At an agonizingly slow rate, the screeching began to slow and come to a halt. All the air seemed to leave the room at the result.

The puzzle was heavier than the feather…

"No!" Yami gasped out, feeling his legs grow weak, but he remained upright. He didn't understand, her safety was more important. That was always the most important. Akori's deep chuckle echoed through the area as he gave a sadistic smile.

"It seems that even though you want her safety, your heart fears for what may come after her release. Your brain and your heart want two different things and sadly your heart can not lie," Akori's grin widened as Tea slowly began to vanish, making her let out a small cry.

/oo/

"Yami!" she whimpered. She didn't know how to feel about the puzzle's decision. In the back of her mind, she wanted to feel angry or betrayed that Yami didn't believe her feelings were true. But at the same time, she couldn't feel anything negative towards him because she had wondered the same thing. If she returned to the real world, would Yami and she have remained close? Or would they return to the awkward friendship that they once shared? It was no surprise that Yami would leave to where he belonged one day and that she would be alone. Would they forget everything that transpired in the privacy of his soul room in the puzzle, just to try and avoid the wrenching heartbreak she was sure to feel when he would leave them all? But now, she would probably never know.

/oo/

"Tea!" Joey and Tristan shouted from the sidelines in both shock and fear. Yami could even feel Yugi's distress.

"_Pharaoh, do something!"_ he shouted from the puzzle.

"Akori stop! None of this will bring your lover back! She's gone!" Yami shouted as he watched Tea's form fade a little more.

"And I mourn everyday for the loss of Akana and my family! You always had someone there! You were never alone! Even in that damned puzzle, you have your host and his friends! Now you will feel the same isolation I felt for all these centuries!" Akori rebutted angrily, his eyes looking insane from power. Neither men had noticed that over the course of their arguing the scale began to move again with Yami still on the platform, his heart racing.

Yami could feel his anger and rage quickly becoming the darkness he had once took comfort in, that he always had control of. Invisible wind began to pick up from his own magic, trying to evade Akori's spells.

"And how do you think they will feel for you then?! How will Akana feel knowing that you stole the life of an innocent girl for revenge? Even your family! Do you think they are proud for your greed?" Yami yelled. Akori's stance faltered for a moment but otherwise remained impassive.

"Don't say Akana's name! I feel no greed!"

"Your greed is you wanting to have someone! It is so great that you would even go after the family of those you believed wronged you. There was nothing I could have done at the time. If there was, I would have done something. I may not remember my past but I know for a fact that if I were Pharaoh, I would never allow such a thing to take place!" Yami tried to control his anger but his emotions were too great. Tea was barely noticeable anymore and he felt something in him break. The screeching of the scale was too great, they were yelling over the shrill noise as Joey and Tristan covered their ears.

"From how you act, it is easy to say you loved Akana with all your heart and would never let anything happen to her and felt helpless knowing that you couldn't protect her!" he took a deep breath, "Well I love Tea and I'll be damned if I let you take her from me!" Panting, Yami finally felt his legs grown too weak as he fell onto one knee, kneeling on the platform. He couldn't look up, he didn't want to see Tea disappear. Slowly the wind vanished as he felt his energy leaving him. The screeching began to fall into a low creak until it stopped. The sudden silence was almost too much to bear until he heard Akori.

"What?!" Glancing up, still panting, Yami followed Akori's gaze to the scale where the puzzle hung equal to the feather, unlike before. He felt a hollow laugh leave him as he realized Akori never announced the game had ended, it had still been going on as they fought. Akori had lost. He had won.

The scale, puzzle and all, along with the remaining items vanished from sight. The shadow realm fell away, revealing the blue sky and bright sun. He looked over and saw Tea, still transparent and barely noticeable, but there, looking confused and relieved. Letting out a couple more shallow laughs, he placed his hand on his forehead and wiped away the little bit of sweat that had formed here.

"This can not be right," Akori muttered.

"My love overran my fear," Yami said from his kneeling position, "The game seems to have ended, so you shall hold your end of the bargain. Release Tea," he commanded. Akori hardened his gaze on him for a few moments but muttered something in a foreign tongue and everyone watched as Tea's body was engulfed in a bright blue light and shot off in the direction of the game shop.

"Now," Yami's voice became sinister as the shadows once again engulfed them. The eye of Horus appeared on his forehead and glowed brightly, "You had broken the rules of the game. You said it would involve only three people: you, me, and Tea. However, you threatened the life of Yugi and used him as hostage. I believe that calls for a punishment,"

He walked up to Akori, who remained standing tall and stoic, not looking intimidated by the sudden dark twist the youth had taken. Akori remembered the past, how everyone would whisper about the prince having an evilness about him, something dangerous lurking behind his sharp, unique eyes. Even as a child, his look of innocence held a strange darkness to it that no one could explain. But not once had he seen the true extent of such power.

Grabbing Akori's collar, Yami felt the shadows overwhelm him, prepared to make Akori live out his worst nightmare. But he could hear Yugi in the back of his mind telling him that Akori was already in his nightmare. Shutting the boy out of his mind, Yami let an arrogant smirk appear on his face. But before he could do anything, he stopped himself; Yugi had been right. Akori was already living his worst nightmare; witnessing the death of his family only to lose the woman he had fallen in love with. He had no one to live for.

Only a mere few minutes ago, Yami had gotten a taste of such feelings. He had not remembered his past, but at the mere mention of his father, he felt his chest constrict with emotion at the thought of the mystery man. He had been close to tears as he felt Tea slipping away from him, even though he wouldn't let it show. Tea…

He had asked Akori if Akana would be proud of him for harming Tea. Would she be happy? Suddenly the question returned to him in a different form. What would Tea feel? She never mentioned what she thought of his shadow magic, she never seemed to mind. But to do such a thing to an already tormented man, would that just make him stoop to Akori's level. Letting out a deep sigh, Yami looked into Akori's narrowed eyes.

"Penalty game," he whispered as the eye of Horus glowed. Slowly Akori's body fell limp to the ground, before his body dissolved away, with his soul and the shadow magic gone, his body was no longer of use. The real world appeared around him and he heard Joey and Tristan running up to him.

"What did you do Pharaoh?" Tristan asked.

"Yeah! Is he suffering? Did you make him a victim to his own mind?!" Joey asked.

"No," Yami said softly as he closed his eyes, "He has suffered enough,"

The puzzle lit up and within seconds, Yugi stood in the place of Yami. It was silent between the three friends as Yugi looked at the puzzle. He could feel Yami's depression and, more importantly, his exhaustion.

"Come on, let's go welcome Tea home," Yugi smiled as they left the roof. The Pharaoh would reveal himself again, after all, through all the tiredness, Yugi could feel Yami's eagerness to see Tea safe in her own body.

/oo/

**_(Akori's soul) _**

_He woke up to the sound of water rippling nearby. Lifting himself up to his elbows, he found himself on warm sand lying beside a river, the sun beating down on him. He had expected the Pharaoh to send him to the darkest dimension possible, being forever surrounded by shadows and evil. Where was he? Slowly standing up, he looked around the area. It looked oddly familiar, but too perfect at the same time._

"_Akori!" spinning around, he could see buildings not far in the distance; a village. It was then he saw a figure running towards him. As they came closer, he saw it was a woman._

"_Akana?" he whispered, unbelieving. The woman stopped and gave a bright smile, brushing her dark hair away from her face. _

"_Come, your family has been waiting! There is much to discuss," she exclaimed, grabbing his wrist and dragging him towards the village. Akori felt confusion run through him, the Pharaoh had spared him? More so, he sent his soul free to move on? _

"_Akana," he said in awe, "You're really here,"_

"_Of course I'm here! Where else would I be-," Akori pulled her into his arms and buried his face in her hair. She was with him again and he wouldn't lose her. They could be together forever. _

"_And my mother?" his voice was muffled by her hair, "She is well?"_

"_She is fine! She is with your father back at our home! As I said, we all have much to discuss," she sighed, exasperated, "Honestly Akori, you can be so clueless at times," Letting out a choked laugh, Akori kept hold of Akana as they continued towards the village and to his home. He had his family back. The Pharaoh had spared him torture and instead gave him happiness._

**Review! Again we still have like 2-3 chapters to go so this is not the end! I was going to have Yami give Akori a real penalty game but then, I realized that in a way, Akori was already tortured and there was really no way to make it worse. Plus, Yami would be wondering the same thing he had asked Akori, how would his loved ones feel if he had done this.**

**Next chapter will have some Yami and Tea moments now that Tea is back in the real world, what will become of their unusual relationship?**

**Until next time, read and review!**


	11. Chapter 11

**DISCLAIMER- I don't own Yugioh in anyway**

**AN: This is not the last chapter! There are still two more chapters I want to take care of PLUS an epilogue! So that's three all together so do not fret!**

**Also, as of June 18, 2013, I am officially a high school graduate! Which means I have an entire summer to do nothing but write my Fanfiction ^.^**

**_Chapter Eleven- Reunited_**

When Tea opened her eyes, she had barely any time to observe her surroundings when voices bombarded her.

"Tea! You're back!" Joey shouted yanking her up into his arms. She let out a groan as her head spun from the sudden movement. Barely a few seconds passed before she was pulled from Joey's arms and into who she could only assume was Tristan.

"Thought we would never get you back!" he yelled.

"Not like we didn't have faith in the Pharaoh, but things were getting pretty heated back there, ya gotta admit!" Joey continued.

"Guys, give her some air, she's barely awake yet," Yugi's worried voice broke in. Tea felt herself being lowered back onto the mattress and she sighed in relief.

"Thanks, guys," she croaked, placing her hand on her forehead. Everything felt so foreign to her now, even moving her arm was strange. The ability to feel the mattress beneath her and the previous feeling of Joey and Tristan breaking her ribs in a bear hug was no longer a common gesture anymore. Sure, she had the ability to touch and feel as a spirit, but it wasn't the same. She couldn't explain it.

"How are you feeling?" Yugi asked, bringing her back into reality.

"Like a truck ran over me," she replied, "My head is spinning a little,"

"Drink this," A new voice commanded, "It's proven to stop any kind of headache in its tracks," Tea looked over and saw Yugi's grandfather beside the bed, holding a mug with a strange liquid in it. Cautiously, she took the mug and put the rim to her lips and began to drink. Whatever the drink was, it tasted bitter and stale. She forced herself to keep from gagging as she finished the entire thing.

"It tastes awful," she heard Yugi mutter beside and by the look on his face, it was clear he had been victim to drinking the bitter liquid at one time as well.

"But it always works," his grandfather pointed out, taking the empty mug back, "It's good to have you back Tea," the old man smiled before leaving the room. It was silent between the friends as Tea could feel her headache slowly easing away. Joey stared absently at the floor as did Tristan, while Yugi looked at the millennium puzzle, his expression puzzled. At one point, he tapped it, as if he were trying to figure something out or get some kind of reaction.

"So, what was it like?" Tristan asked suddenly.

"What was what like?" she asked

"Being in the puzzle!" he seemed to have been back to normal by how animated his voice suddenly was, "How was it?"

"Besides trying to keep from fading into nothing every five minutes, it was different," she said, "Yami had to use a lot of his shadow magic to keep me safe,"

"The Pharaoh told me that you had to stay in his soul room because yours was too weak," Yugi added and Tea felt her face heat up slightly. It didn't go unnoticed by the others.

"So you _were_ living with the Pharaoh this whole time, literally," Joey said with a smirk, making Tea narrow her eyes at the tone of his voice, "How was _that_?"

"Joey!" Yugi and Tristan yelled as Tea felt her face burst with redness. She saw Yugi immediately tighten his lips into a firm line as if he was trying to keep himself from saying something. Did he know about the kisses? Would Yami have told him everything that had happened between them?

"What?!" Joey argued.

"What you're implying," Tristan answered, "The Pharaoh isn't like that!"

"Like what?!" Joey yelled, "I'm just saying when two people are trapped in a small puzzle, in an isolated room for a long period of time with NO other people around…," he trailed off and shrug as Tristan continued to argue and Yugi made a face that was mix between shock and having an unwanted mental image. Tea buried her tomato red face in her hands and groaned, suddenly wishing she were back in the puzzle where she could hide.

"Speaking of which, how is the Pharaoh doing?" Tristan asked Yugi once he and Joey finished arguing. The sound of Yami's name made Tea pick her head up.

"I haven't spoken to him since the duel," Yugi said sadly, "At first it was pure exhaustion which is understandable considering everything that happened, but now…,"

"Now, what?" Joey asked, his voice softer.

"Now it is almost as if he doesn't want to talk. Or be bothered for that matter," the sadness in Yugi's voice had turned to worry, "His emotions are all over the place, I can't get anywhere through our link,"

"Well this shadow game was a lot more than he could handle," Tristan said, "I mean, that Akori person was really hitting the right buttons; talking about the Pharaoh's family and past life, even mentioning that the Pharaoh and his old man were once really close. The poor guy doesn't even know his name and suddenly he is finding he is still attached to a life he knows nothing of,"

"It's hard enough to make decisions about your family when you know them," Joey continued, thinking of his sister, Serenity, "But to know next to nothing about them and being asked to make impossible choices, that has to be rough,"

"Especially when he had to decide between his best friends whom he truly cared and fought for and the family he must've died for when he sealed himself in the puzzle," Yugi, touched the puzzle in deep thought as everyone became quiet.

"So seriously, what _did_ happen between you and the Pharaoh in the puzzle?" Joey asked.

"JOEY!" everyone shouted, including Tea whose face had once again become bright red.

/oo/

That night, Tristan and Joey stayed over helping Yugi in taking turns every few hours staying in the guest room and watching over Tea to make sure nothing else happened. Despite the danger being gone, Tea couldn't sleep. Instead, she listened to the sounds of Tristan and Yugi sleeping in the other room and Joey passed out in the chair by her bed, when he was supposed to be on guard duty.

She thought about Yami and what Yugi had said earlier; how Yami didn't seem to want to be bothered and how his emotions were a jumble of nonsense. She could only imagine what he was going through, after all the questions Akori asked; she would want to be alone too. But deep down, she wondered if he was also afraid to see her.

His confession of love towards her had certainly been unexpected, but not unwanted. But, Akori's last question had hit him hard, judging by his conflict over answering the question. Would she feel the same once she was free of the puzzle? The question was truly stupid; of course she would feel the same way! But, he didn't know that and he had all the reason to feel she wouldn't. She even questioned herself at first, even if it was only for a second.

She should have said something back there; reassured him that it didn't matter whether she was out in the real world or in the puzzle with him; she would feel the same. But, she didn't, she was too afraid to. Now, she had to wait to see Yami again to speak to him, whenever that would be.

She wasn't sure how much time had passed before she heard the sound of the doorknob turning as someone began to enter the room. Her body involuntarily tensed, preparing itself for the worst. At first, she could only see the person's silhouette, but the spiky hair gave him away. At first thinking it was Yugi, she realized that he had become taller, a phenomenon that no one could ever explain when Yami took over their friend's body.

"You're awake," he whispered, coming up to her.

"Yeah, I couldn't sleep," she responded. She looked him over and noticed he wore a black tank top and sweatpants. If he was in Yugi's body, why wasn't he wearing the same clothes as his host?

"I don't think I could have a conversation with you wearing the pajamas Yugi was wearing with the things he called rockets on them," he explained, reading her mind, "So I changed before coming to you," his voice was laced with nervousness as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"It's ok," she smiled, "But this outfit seems to fit you pretty well and you are a little taller than Yugi,"

"He has some clothes that are too big on him," he replied and sat on the edge of the bed, "He always puts them off to the side in his closet, so they are easy to find," she nodded and leaned against the headboard as they sat there listening to Joey snore loudly and twitch occasionally in his sleep.

"Can you walk?" he asked and she nodded.

"Why?"

"I figured we could talk someplace more…quiet," he smirked as they looked back at Joey who was half off the chair as his mouth hung open with a bit of drool on the corner of his mouth. Yami held out his hand and Tea took it, pulling herself from the bed. Her legs felt like liquid from not being used for so long. She wobbled and fell forward, into Yami's chest as he caught her.

"Are you sure you can walk?" he asked in a hushed voice. She held onto his shirt as she looked up into his eyes which held some concern.

"We are just going into the hall right? I should be fine," they stayed like that for a few moments before she pushed herself away and got feeling back into her legs. He held her one hand as she kept a grasp on his arm with the other as they quietly left the room.

"What did you want to talk about?" Tea asked, once they were in the darkened hallway.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, placing a hand on her cheek.

"Still a little out of it," she blushed, "But I'm slowly getting there,"

"Good," he smiled. He let his hand drop back to his side.

"How are _you_?" she asked.

"Fine," he responded, raising an eyebrow, "Why do you ask?"

"Yugi said he could feel your exhaustion through your bond after the game," she told him, "And that he could feel that your emotions were everywhere,"

"Yes, it was a trying game," he said quietly, his eyes distant. The air between them was awkward, both wanting to say something on where their unusual relationship stood, but neither brave enough to bring it up. Finally, Tea took a deep breath.

"I heard what you said back there," her voice was quiet, "Your confession,"

"Yes, I believe _everyone_ heard that," he laughed, but it was strained, "Forgive me for that,"

"What is there to forgive?"

"Saying such a thing; I didn't mean to say it but my anger got the best of me," his voice was sad again, "I don't want to influence your feelings,"

"Influence my feelings?" she asked, "I'm not sure I'm understanding here, Yami," she placed a hand on his arm and he closed his eyes.

"It's like Akori's last question, would you feel the same way once you were free from my prison of a puzzle? I hadn't thought of it before until he spoke it. I know you are not someone who toys with emotions, but it is like I told Yugi, people's emotion adjust accordingly to a situation. When you are with a person for a long time, sometimes false feelings develop to better live the circumstance," he explained, "I don't want my love for you to influence your own feelings in anyway or make you think you have to feel a certain way,"

"Yami, you're not really making the most sense," she said, "I didn't develop any false feelings for you,"

"Tea-,"

"If my feelings changed at all they only grew stronger, but I didn't make myself feel false things for you!" she was tired and her emotions were not helping in her favor, but she couldn't stop her words from falling out.

"What about you?"

"What about me?" he asked.

"Did you have false feelings?" she asked in a soft voice, "Were those kisses real or your feelings adapting to our situation? Was everything that happened between us in the puzzle real? What about your confession?"

His movements were quick as his hands gripped her shoulders so tightly that she had to keep herself from flinching. She looked up into his sharp amethyst eyes which had narrowed and hardened. She had only ever seen him look that intense when he was dueling.

"Nothing, nothing that happened between us was untrue," he said with clenched teeth, "Nor was my confession. When you started to fade away back on that roof, it took all of my power not to destroy Akori and his mind, just hoping that would be enough to make the curse stop and save you. But I knew it wouldn't; the damage was already done. I didn't want to say my true feelings because of the complications that would ensue due to the obstacles, but it was the only way to get through to Akori and save you!"

Tea was silent as she listened to him, his voice trying to remain low so not to wake the other sleeping occupants, but she could hear the strain in him wishing he could speak louder. How loud, she didn't know.

"Don't ever question my feelings for you, Tea," he whispered, still gripping her shoulders. She didn't respond for a few minutes as she stared into his eyes. Blue clashing with purple.

"Then don't question mine," she countered, quietly, "They aren't false,"

It was quiet as the apprehension between them slowly began to fade. Yami's hands on her shoulders slowly moved back to her cheeks, this time cradling them softly. She felt herself grabbing his arms as their face slowly grew closer. In the back of their minds, they knew this was not the best idea; this was not a moment between them in the puzzle when Yami was in his spirit form. He was in Yugi's body now, it wasn't right to express their feelings, but at this point, neither were paying any mind.

Just as their lips were about to touch, the door to the guest room swung open,

"Tea!" Joey practically yelled as the two jumped apart. They looked at Joey standing there looking as though he were losing his mind.

"What's wrong Joey?" Tea asked, trying to sound casual.

"I woke up and saw you weren't in bed," he said, panting. He looked over and realized it was Yami standing there, "Hey Pharaoh!"

"Don't worry, Joey," Yami jumped in, "She was with me and you know I wouldn't let anything happen to our Tea," he placed his hands on Tea's shoulders, making the girl blush.

"Sorry, I didn't know you were out here," his rubbed his eyes before looking between the two and their closeness, "What _is_ going on here, anyway?"

The two began to talk over each other for a moment, both having a different excuse. Joey began to smirk as Yami quickly recovered.

"Joey, what time are you switching guard duty?" he asked.

"Uh, I switch with Yugi at about 2am," he answered, looking at his watch, "It's 1:30 now,"

"I can take it from here Joey," Yami said, "You seem like you need rest,"

Joey yawned loudly, "Ya sure, Pharaoh?" the smirk had yet to leave his face and Tea wished the floor would swallow her up.

"Yes, go get some sleep," without another word, Joey walked to Yugi's room, half-awake. The two had to keep from laughing when he tripped over his feet in entering the bedroom, before finally dragging himself in and closing the door.

A few moments passed until Yami gently nudged Tea towards the guest room and they both went inside, closing the door behind them. Tea curled back up in the bed and Yami pulled the blankets over her. She pulled herself into a sitting position and rested against the headboard, patting the empty space beside her, on the mattress. He hesitated a moment before walking around the bed and crawling on the bed. The air between them was awkward for a few moments before Tea leaned over and rested her head onto his chest, making him drape his arm over her shoulders. Everything about their position felt comfortable and right. Tea closed her eyes and gave a blissful sigh.

"So, what now?" she asked.

"What do you mean?" he asked, softly.

"Where do we stand now? I'm back in my body and you are back to switching back and forth with Yugi, sharing one body," she clarified.

"It isn't fair to Yugi to continue a relationship of some kind," he said. His voice held sadness and disappointment, the same feelings that made her chest ache.

"I know," she whispered.

"So," he sighed, "We have to wait and see where this journey leads us and what will unfold for the future," he said. He held her tighter as Tea burrowed her face into his neck and took in his scent. For once, they could be together without the worry of something bad happening, and it was impossible.

"Can you at least stay tonight?" she asked, hopefully, "Even if it's only until I fall asleep?" she looked up at him with wide eyes, waiting for a response. He thought about it for a moment before the corners of his lips twitched upwards.

"Of course, Tea," he nodded before becoming serious again, "Remember, never doubt my feelings in the future, whatever we face, _I love you_,"

"I love you too," she whispered and smiled as she reached up and met his lips in a deep kiss.

**Review! Two or Three chapters left! The next chapter may be short, I'm not sure yet!  
>I'm sorry for the delay but now that I am OFFICIALLY DONE SCHOOL UNTIL SEPTEMBER, I can spend more time trying to type :D<strong>

**Until next time, read and review! **


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